Steam Is Permanently Giving Away the Horror Classic From the Maker of ‘Inscryption’

One of the earlier masterworks by Inscryption mastermind Daniel Mullins is currently available to claim and keep permanently on Steam. For a limited window until October 12, 2026, Pony Island is completely free of charge. This promotional timing feels pitch-perfect, arriving not only in the heart of October—the undisputed season for all things eerie and uncanny—but also just ahead of the highly anticipated sequel scheduled to launch early next year.

Released in 2016, Pony Island is a quintessential meta-horror experience that deceptively masquerades as a 2D endless runner starring innocent unicorns, before violently derailing into surreal territory. Players are whisked across a kaleidoscopic array of gameplay genres as they fight to escape the clutches of a malevolent, cursed arcade cabinet. The title earned widespread critical acclaim for its daring, experimental framework and postmodern narrative style. Following this triumph, Mullins expanded his repertoire with 2018’s The Hex, an intricate mystery weaving together six distinct characters, each bound to a completely different gaming genre.

In 2021, Mullins reached new heights with his most celebrated release to date, Inscryption. This psychological horror journey brilliantly fused traditional card-battling mechanics, intricate room-escape puzzles, and roguelike progression, drawing massive praise for its immaculate deckbuilding depth, striking visual design, and deeply unsettling atmosphere.

What lies ahead in Pony Island 2?

First unveiled via a mesmerizing trailer at The Game Awards 2023, Pony Island 2: Panda Circus adopts a similarly enigmatic premise, tasking a stranded spirit with breaking free from the digital confines of a video game realm. According to the official Steam page, the project is structured as a “phantasmagorical voyage through time, myth, divinity, and video games.” The synopsis elaborates: “You were a young nomad who would have gone on to conquer the world… until an early death doomed you to The Earth Prison. Now you must escape the lordly deities of the underworld with your soul, and your sanity, intact. This is not a game about ponies.” Furthermore, recent promotional footage strongly suggests that this captive soul is none other than the legendary conqueror Temujin, better known globally as Genghis Khan.

If previous outings from Daniel Mullins Games serve as any indication, players should brace themselves for an unpredictable, genre-bending trip. Mullins has previously confirmed that the sequel will seamlessly blend wildly disparate styles, a claim heavily supported by trailers featuring RTS mechanics, first-person exploration, command-line interfaces, and frantic 2D action segments all rolled into one. Gamers will finally experience everything Pony Island 2: Panda Circus has cooked up when it officially launches on April 27, 2027. In the meantime, prospective players can still submit applications to join the ongoing Steam playtest.

This is my GTA 6

Source: Polygon